A culturally grounded leader guides a nation and its people without turning away from their traditional roots. Such a leader recognises that preserving the country’s age-old culture is essential to its prosperity. To govern with that conviction, a head of state must be bold, unwavering and fearless. The process is about balancing material prosperity with the nation’s rich heritage. This is what Narendra Modi, Bhārat’s esteemed prime minister, is striving to achieve. He cannot be otherwise, because Bhārat is not just another stretch of land to him. It’s what he breathes, thinks about, meditates on and lives for.
Having known Modi long before he became chief minister of Gujarat, I can say that he has always been a social reformer at heart. His emphasis on reforming our society is linked with his love for the nation, which has always burned bright and unmistakable. With every responsibility he has shouldered since, that fire has only grown stronger. He has not merely served Bhārat Mata; he has surrendered his entire life to her. Day and night, without rest and without pause, he labours for the material progress and spiritual awakening of our nation.
For decades, I have dreamed of a Bhārat that is cleaner, kinder and more deeply rooted in dharma, and I have worked tirelessly to bring that dream to life. Many of the changes unfolding across the country today under Modi mirror the visions I have long cherished.
Deep Dive
What are the main goals of Narendra Modi's leadership for Bharat?
Why is a drug-free initiative important in Modi's vision for Bharat?
How is PM Modi's approach to governance linked to India's cultural roots?
Nowhere is this more visible than in our villages. There, awareness is growing around education, health, nutritious food, cleanliness, hygiene and the dangers of substance use. Much has changed, yet much remains to be done and each of these needs must continue to be addressed with care and determination.
{{/usCountry}}Nowhere is this more visible than in our villages. There, awareness is growing around education, health, nutritious food, cleanliness, hygiene and the dangers of substance use. Much has changed, yet much remains to be done and each of these needs must continue to be addressed with care and determination.
{{/usCountry}}I was born and raised in a small coastal village where families depended entirely on the sea and the day’s catch. Even as a little girl, I witnessed the hardships of the people around me up close. Those early experiences awakened in me a deep longing to serve others selflessly and to show compassion to all.
As I understand it, non-attachment is the foundation of selflessness. I believe Modi possesses this quality and it gives him the inner strength to pursue reforms without fear.
For the past 35 years, I have travelled widely across western countries. Seeing their well-kept roads, I dreamed of a Bhārat whose roads and rivers are just as clean and where people take pride in keeping public spaces tidy.
We keep our temple premises spotless because we regard them as sacred. Yet God is all-pervading, so every inch of this earth is part of God’s body and deserves the same care. I have long wished for this awareness to begin in our schools. I hope the nation will learn not only to manage waste but to produce less of it in the first place.
It brings me great joy that the PM is now carrying this yajña of cleanliness to every corner of the country.
I envision a Bhārat where daughters are welcomed as wealth rather than seen as a burden. I dream of a land where every woman can walk any street, at any hour, without fear and where women stand shoulder to shoulder with men in building the nation.
When women step forward to lead and manage, men should not merely clear the way. They should also be willing to step aside, without placing needless obstacles in their path. True equity and equality must be established between the genders. Here too, Modi has taken significant steps forward.
I have long been deeply concerned about young people losing their way to addiction, whether to drugs and alcohol or to their gadgets. I have worked hard to raise awareness among the youth about the dangers these habits pose. I urge society to meet those struggling with addiction with compassion - a hand extended rather than a finger pointed. I also ask that we invest in healing rather than in weapons. I am overjoyed that the PM has taken up this cause on a national scale through the Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug Free India) and Nasha Mukt Yuva (Drug Free Youth) Abhiyaans.
I dream of a Bhārat where the cow, wild animals, forests, mountains and all our natural resources are lovingly protected. I hope people will live simply, waste little and plant more, repaying the “loan” of an earth we have borrowed from our children.
Modi, too, has paid close attention to these concerns, working to protect and safeguard our natural heritage, our wildlife and our indigenous breeds. The rise in forest cover, population of tigers, lions and elephants reflects that. Initiatives like the Big Cat Alliance also point to a vision of protecting those we share the planet with.
It is heartening to see the PM uphold the ideal of Rāma Rājya. Its spirit is captured in the questions Śrī Rāma put to Bharata about the state of the kingdom: Are the farmers encouraged? Are the rivers, cattle and forests protected? Are women and children safe?
Underlying all of this is a conviction I hold most dear: Lasting reform comes from transformed hearts, not from laws alone. Every citizen must “light the lamp on his own veranda.” Both sincere effort and divine grace are needed.
I long for Bhārat to rise once more as both viśva-guru and viśva-mitra - a teacher and friend to the world. I see Bhārat as the jewel in the world’s crown, spreading to the world all the light of both parāvidyā and aparāvidyā - spiritual wisdom and material knowledge. Like honey at the heart of the world-flower, Bhārat can nourish every nation. Our dharma is to hand the next generation a land cleaner, kinder and more dharmic than the one we received.
I’m filled with joy to see how Modi’s policies over the past decade have touched so many parts of our national life.
Daughters and women have been uplifted through Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, extended maternity leave, Ujjwala, and the 2023 women’s reservation law. Water is honoured through Namami Gange, the Jal Jeevan Mission, Mission Amrit Sarovar and the earth through Mission LiFE, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam and the ban on single-use plastics. Cattle are cared for under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and youth are shielded from intoxicants by the Nasha Mukt Bhārat Abhiyaan. Ayushman Bhārat and Jan Aushadhi stores serve the sick and poor, while Swachh Bhārat Mission 2.0 strives for garbage-free cities.
These are just some of the many efforts driving our nation’s growth.
Our organisation and I continue to serve Mother Earth and humanity selflessly, yet there are limits to what any single organisation can achieve. That is why I am immensely pleased to see Modi carrying these reforms across the nation with dedication, selflessness and love, following in the footsteps of our ancient Rishis (sages).
To my mind, his strength, fearlessness and love for the nation spring from spirituality and an unwavering faith in Bhārat’s eternal glory. I see him as a leader free from selfish interests and unattached, devoted to a single goal: restoring Bhārat’s lost glory. At heart, he is a sannyāsī, in action, a karma-yogī or a social reformer.
(Amma is a world-renowned spiritual & humanitarian leader)